Sagi Berman gives way to Sapir Berman and becomes the first transgender referee in the history of men's professional soccer.

Or at least it is known.

This Saturday, Berman will capture all eyes in the meeting between Hapoel Haifa and Beitar Jerusalem.

It will be the fifth match that he has officiated in the top flight of Israeli football but the first since the announcement of his decision to change sex.


"From an early age, I have seen myself as a woman. At first, I did not know what to call it but I always felt a bit of attraction for the feminine side and a kind of envy of the feminine sex," announced the young Israeli in a press conference in Tel Aviv, where she was supported by the Federation and the Association of Referees of her country.


"I lived with the very masculine figure that he was. As a man I was successful, either in studies, in refereeing or with the girls, but when I was alone I was a woman," he said serenely, before confirming before the cameras. that was less and less secret: "I have decided to go out and show who I am, first of all for me and my soul."



Berman, who will turn 27 in June, admits that the dominant male environment in soccer delayed his decision. "I did not know if they would accept me and how they would accept me," he said before adding: "At the end of the day, I came to the conclusion that I cannot hide it anymore and that I feel from within that it is not under my control."



The president of the Israeli Association of Referees,

Ronit Tirosh

, supported Berman from the get-go. "Sapir, your step is a great service to the LGTBI community. You are very brave. I trust that society and the State of Israel understand the importance of the matter," he said.



"When she officially told us about her decision to change sex, she asked us to treat her in an absolutely normal way. We did so and I immediately decided to referee a match," added Tirosh, who in statements to station 103 reveals that the announcement It was not a surprise: "In her last matches, she began to go out onto the field with a more feminine appearance, a bit of makeup, etc ... and asked the rest of the referees to address her in feminine language."



"She is a woman who was born in the body of a man and now she has decided to create balance because for many years she lived in a dissonance between what she felt and her physical appearance. It is a process that has not yet finished," he commented.


Premiere in First this course


Berman made his debut this season in the first division of the Israeli League.

"Sapir is a very strong young woman and a pioneer. She has our full support and we will allow her to continue her incredible career that she has made until today. We are very proud," declared Federation President Oren Hasson.



"I want to thank the incredible support I receive from my family, colleagues, the Association of Referees and the Federation. I also receive unprecedented support on Facebook and Instagram. All the messages give me a lot of strength and confirm that I am doing the right thing," he said Berman is aware, however, that the person in charge of refereeing a match, be it a man, a woman or a transsexual, is exposed to criticism and often to the insult of the fan. Asked if she is not afraid of hostile reactions from the stands now that they are beginning to fill up thanks to the massive vaccination in Israel, she replied: "I am not afraid at all. In the last years that I have refereed I have encountered sexist insults and it has never mattered to me. nor has it caused me any discomfort. I will tell you a secret, it practically does not pass the filter of hatred.



After admitting that it is the beginning of the change process and that she does not know when she will feel fully satisfied with her physical appearance, Berman clarified that "from the point of view of refereeing everything remains the same with the same abilities to analyze the plays and the same ability cognitive and physiological ".

With earrings and makeup for the occasion, the young Israeli has started in Tel Aviv a new personal path that will have influence beyond the grass.

"We are here to change," Berman concluded.

From now on, Sapir Berman.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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